Parallel Universe: Every Team Minus Its Best PlayerRegarding Parallel Universe, Its DefinitionParallel universe is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as a “hypothetical self-contained separate reality in which Biff Tannen has become wealthy and corrupted, and changed Hill Valley into a chaotic dystopia.”

Regarding Parallel Universe, Another Possible Definition
Another possible definition of parallel universe is “a reality not entirely unlike the present one, except in which every major-league team’s best player has been replaced by a freely available one instead.”

Regarding That Second Definition
What this edition of the Notes considers is that second, less common definition of parallel universe.

Table: Every American League Team Minus Its Best Player
Here’s a (sortable) table including: every AL team’s present record, its best player (by WAR), the respective WARs of those best players, and every team’s record (noted as MW and ML, for “minus” wins and losses) were said best player never to’ve been born at all.

Other Table: Every National League Team Minus Its Best Player
Here’s a (sortable) table including: every NL team’s present record, its best player (by WAR), the respective WARs of those best players, and every team’s record (noted as MW and ML, for “minus” wins and losses) were said best player never to’ve been born at all.

Sample Observation
There are a number of observations one can make from the above pair of tables — including, for example, how, if the Nationals didn’t have Gio Gonzalez, how the Reds would have the best record in the majors.

Today’s MLB.TV Free GameLos Angeles (NL) at Pittsburgh | 19:05 ET
Pittsburgh second baseman Neil Walker entered Sunday slashing .286/.349/.443 in 459 plate appearances, good for a 114 wRC+. He exited that same game hitting .294/.358/.460, with a 121 wRC+, in just six additional plate appearances — on account, largely, of how he went 5-for-5 with a walk during it (box). Walker now enters the week with a 3.8 WAR after beginning Sunday with a 3.4 mark.

30 Responses to “Daily Notes: Every Team Minus Its Best Player”

If I may suggest another, what if every teams worst player – either lowest WAR or some other definition of worst regular, were replaced by a replacement player, a league average player, or even the best player at that position in baseball. That would look at every teams opportunity for improvement where as this looks at their fragility.

Those extra lost wins are carried over to next year’s perpendicular universe – when every team’s worst player will disappear into the ether. Now if the Gods can somehow make sure the Cubs lose their two worst players, then we’re talking World Series for them.

While I also like the idea of looking at the impact of a teams worst player, or qualifying player, I think it is of little use because a player is only allowed to be horrible for so long before they are replaced. In a lot of cases the replacement is not much better, however, that is not always the case. It might be better to look at the teams worst position and the opportunity for improvement by a replacement level player on that position.

@RJD81, unless of course you are Ron Washington and insist on playing the worst player in the game in Michael Young…I would love to see if you replaced the worst player with a better replacement on the Rangers. It wouldn’t be too hard, you could take any other player in baseball and plug him into Young’s spot and they are an instant upgrade.

Are you, koan master odditie, suggesting that data, stats, and philosophical baseball nonsense was discussed just 98 years post Columbus’ arrival in North America? I don’t want this to turn into a re-imagining of the series finale of Lost. Fuck it. We’re trying to combine science-fiction with baseball, and that’s gonna sell a whole-lotta-t-shirts.

There are a number of observations one can make from the above pair of tables — including, for example, how, if the Nationals didn’t have Gio Gonzalez, how the Reds would have the best record in the majors.

Isn’t that assuming that if he wasn’t there he would be replaced with a replacement level pitcher? Thats pretty presumptuous. If they had never traded for Gonzalez they would have John Lannon, Brad Peacock, and (I don’t know if you have heard of this guy) Tommy Milone. If they had a 1.8 WAR Tommy Milone in the rotation right now you would have to assume that they would have the exact same record as the Reds.

Also, if they had never made that trade, they would have had Derek Norris to fall back when Ramos got hurt on instead of the replacement level Jesus Flores. Or, heaven forbid, Kurt Suzuki.

The exercise wasn’t “what if the specific transaction in which a team acquired its best player were reversed?” but “what would happen if the best player on each team suddenly disappeared?” As I said above, I do wish he had looked at actual backups (Lannan, in your example).

So if the Astros added M Trout, R Cano, D Wright, C Ruiz, J Hamilton, CarGo and C Kershaw they would be 72-44 right now… a half game ahead of Washington for best record..??? Can’t decide if I am more surprised in how bad Houston is or how good Washington is??